The Second Melody - Season 1, Episode 13
[SCENE START]
INT. RECORDING STUDIO - DAY
Eun-jin and Hyun-woo are in a sleek, soundproof recording studio. She is at the mixing board, and he is sitting on a stool, holding a pen and a notebook.
EUN-JIN Don't think about what people want to hear. Think about what you need to say. What were you thinking about when you wrote this?
Hyun-woo looks down at the lyrics to "Empty Stage." They feel foreign, like they were written by another person. He remembers his 2025 self, crying in his apartment, feeling the world had turned its back on him.
HYUN-WOO (Quietly) I was thinking about how much I lost. How empty I felt.
EUN-JIN Good. That's what needs to be in this song. Not just the words, but the feeling behind them. You're not just singing a song; you're telling a story.
Hyun-woo looks at her, a glimmer of understanding in his eyes.
[SCENE END]
[SCENE START]
INT. COMPANY CAFETERIA - LATER
Hyun-woo and Jisoo are eating lunch. It's their first time together at the company. She is eating cheerfully, while he is a bit distracted.
JISOO You look worried. Is the training that hard?
Hyun-woo shakes his head.
HYUN-WOO It's not that. It's just… a lot.
JISOO I know. I thought I would be more prepared. I'm glad you're here. It makes it feel a bit more normal.
Jisoo smiles, her eyes sparkling. Hyun-woo looks at her, feeling a warmth he hasn't felt in a long time. In his past life, friendships were always about connections and business. With Jisoo, it's different. It's real.
[SCENE END]
[SCENE START]
INT. DANCE STUDIO - DAY
Hyun-woo is in dance practice with his groupmates, Seung-ho and Min-su. The dance instructor, a tough but fair woman named JI-YOUNG, is pushing them hard.
JI-YOUNG Hyun-woo! Your movements are good, but there's no life in them! You're moving like a robot. What's wrong?
Hyun-woo feels his past life creeping in. His body remembers the moves, but his mind is numb. He tries to push through, but his feet feel heavy. He stumbles and falls.
MIN-SU (Laughing) What's the matter, Golden Boy? Not so perfect after all?
Hyun-woo's blood boils. He stands up, a fire in his eyes.
HYUN-WOO I'm not perfect. But I'll be the best.
He begins the routine again, this time with a new ferocity. His moves are powerful and his emotions are raw. Ji-young watches him, impressed. She can see a glimmer of something more in him.
[SCENE END]
[SCENE START]
INT. GYM - NIGHT
Hyun-woo is alone in the gym, punching a bag, working out his frustrations. He is drenched in sweat, his body aching. His thoughts are a whirlwind of memories, the hate comments, the press conferences, the fall. He keeps punching, harder and harder, until his knuckles bleed.
Eun-jin walks in, a quiet expression on her face. She hands him a towel and a bottle of water.
EUN-JIN You can't keep living in the past, Hyun-woo. You'll just hurt yourself.
HYUN-WOO (Shaking his head) I can't. Not when they're all there. I'm not who they think I am. I'm not who they want me to be.
He looks at his bleeding knuckles.
HYUN-WOO (Tears in his eyes) I'm just an empty stage.
Eun-jin puts a hand on his shoulder.
EUN-JIN That's not true. You're an artist. Now get back to work.
Hyun-woo looks at her, a flicker of hope in his eyes. He has a choice to make: live in the past, or create a new future.
[SCENE END]